Mateus Fernandes: Man United’s next step for West Ham star explained
Mateus Fernandes: Man Uniteds next step for West Ham star explainedManchester United are ready to accelerate their pursuit of West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, according to a new report.Priority TargetFernandes, 21, has emerged as a priority target for the Red Devils this summer after their pursuit of Nottingham Forests Elliot Anderson proved too expensive, with the 23-year-old England international about to join Manchester City instead.A 39 million deal (35m up front + 3.8m in potential add-ons) has already been struck for Atalantas Ederson. However, this was seen as much a market opportunity for a versatile option with a wealth of experience as a replacement for Casemiro, who is set to join Inter Miami.Aurelien Tchouameni, Real Madrids 26-year-old defensive midfielder, is understood to be the dream target to succeed the Brazilian, though a deal is considered unlikely at this stage.A wealth of other candidates have been assessed, including Alex Scott (Bournemouth), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle United), Carlos Baleba (Brighton) and Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace). The focus, however, is now on striking a deal with West Ham for Fernandes after an impressive campaign for the one-cap Portugal international.Mateus Fernandes Premier League stats: 2025/26 SeasonSource: SofascoreInitially, there had been optimism that West Hams relegation would force them into accepting a cut-price deal. However, the Hammers are sticking to their guns after a change in ownership alleviated some of the financial pressures at the London Stadium.Fabrizio Romano claimed a valuation as high as 100m had been placed on the former Southampton stars head, with the Saints owed 15% of any fee received owing to the 38m deal which brought him to East London last summer.United expected to strikeThe Athletic, considered the gold standard for football transfers, reveals West Hams asking price is 80m, though the outlet notes this is still a fundamental sticking point for INEOS.Old Trafford chiefs are understood to have shown a reluctance to meet this figure, given Fernandes has only two years of experience in English football. However, this has not stopped virtually every top club in the country and on the continent from exploring a deal.Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United have all been credited as suitors, while The Athletic confirms Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have both expressed interest. However, it is Tottenham Hotspur who pose the greatest threat to the Red Devils after storming into the race last week at the request of Roberto De Zerbi, who is also actively pushing for the pursuit of a United star.Tottenham Hotspur are understood to have held talks with Fernandes camp, led by super agent Jorge Mendes, and received encouragement he would be willing to travel across London. However, The Athletic also notes personal terms between United and Fernandes are not expected to be an issue.If the Lilywhites are prepared to move closer to West Hams price, then sporting director Jason Wilcox will be left with a decision to make after weeks of protracted negotiations in pursuit of the Portuguese starlet.The report concludes that while a formal offer is yet to be submitted, United are expected to table one. West Hams need to balance the books by the end of the month could be influencing this patient approach.Internally, United are believed to have confidence they are frontrunners for Fernandes signature, with the youngster seeing Old Trafford as a dream move and his namesake, Bruno Fernandes, a personal idol who he would jump at the chance to play alongside.Featured image Clive Rose via Getty Imagesonline pollsThe Peoples Person has been one of the worlds leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Czech
Arabic
French
Spanish
Portuguese
Deutsch
Turkish
Dutch
Italiano
Russian
Romaian
Portuguese (Brazil)
Greek